When you look into a Katana, you will notice the glistening, elegant waves on the blade in a very second.
It is called HAMON(刃文; Blade-Waves). It ranges from the layered, helix, wavy ones that could look like tidal waves, to the straight, thin ones.
You can not help but realize how much of Hamon’s breath-taking beauty there is to be seen in the world of Katana…. Today we are going to introduce the basics of HAMON to you.
INDEX:
HAMON
1.How did they make Hamon?
2.Shape of Hamon
For Advanced Tips:
JIGANE, NIE, and NIOI
1.What is Jigane (Kitae-Hada)?
2. Types of Jigane
3.Nie-Deki, Nioi-Deki
1. How did they make Hamon?
Before you sharpen up the blade to form the Katana shape, the blade goes through the process called “TSUCHI-OKI(土置き; Mud-Put) and YAKI-IRE (焼き入れ; Burn-In).” They put clay on top of the Katana blade, temper it again at 800℃, and rapidly bring down the heat by putting it back in cold water. Depending on how you put clay on it, they could make many different Hamon shapes because each part of the blade is tempered differently in the pot. The Hamon will show much clearer after the polishing process.
2.Shape of Hamon
If you have already seen one or two Katana, you may have noticed that there are generally two types of Hamon; straight Hamon, SUGU-HA (直刃), and wavy Hamon, MIDARE-BA (乱刃). In the Japanese sword terminology, there are many specific terms to describe those Hamon patterns. However, we would just like to touch on these two types today.
I: SUGU-HA
Sugu-Ha never goes out of style. They were a more common, sharper, and martially more sturdy type of Katana throughout history.
Although most Sugu-Ha blades look very similar, there are loads of sub-genres among them as well.
We will show you those in the future episode of this series.
II: MIDARE-BA
Midare-Ba acquired its popularity in the peaceful periods during the Samurai times.
Since they were more aesthetically outstanding, people would often prefer to have the Midare-Ba Katana on display.
However, The Japanese swords with Midare-Ba Hamon were also made in the conflicted eras such as the Sengoku period. (The Warring States period)
Midare-Ba should also be divided into several types. Below shows the four popular Midare-Ba waves.
Now you have probably grasped the difference between each HAMON. However, the blade of the Katana still has a lot more to be seen. We would also like to introduce the basics of Katana’s skin patterns, JIGANE, NIE and NIOI.
1.What is Jigane (Kitae-Hada)?
Jigane, or Kitae-Hada is the sheer pattern of wrinkles seen on Katana that stream through the blade on the surface. They are made in Katana’s layering process of its forging, and they range from straight ones to wavy ones as well as Hamon.
2.Types of Jigane
The figure below shows the four famous instances of Jigane. Since the blacksmiths had smashed the blade so hard to layer the blade’s steel, they were named after this process as ‘Forged-Skin,’ which is Kitae-Hada in Japanese. These Jigane types are generally unique to specific sword artistries, yet were sometimes inherited to individuals who moved to other regions.
1.Ayasugi-Hada
Wavy patterns that look like tidal waves.
2.Mokume-Hada
Patterns that look like tree rings.
3.Itame-Hada
Straight designs that look like lumber.
4.Masame-Hada
Straight patterns that look like trees cut vertically.
2.NIE and NIOI
As you may know, having read the previous episode about TAMA-HAGANE, Katana were usually made out of carbon steel. You can see that there are small crystallized round dots on Katana’s surface.
If the dots are visible in naked eye, we call them NIE.
If not, we refer to those smaller dots as NIOI.
Nie-Deki(沸出来;Boiled-Made) were made when the blade was tempered at higher temperatures as the chemical reaction of carbon and steel gets fast and rough in higher intensity of heat. On the other hand, Nioi-Deki(匂出来;Subtle-Made) were made in the slower burning of carbon steel so that the dots would crystalize more densely. It can also help determine the historical backgrounds about the swordsmiths’ artistry, based on the portion of Nie and Nioi.
Can you now tell the difference of your Katana from the other ones? If you cannot clarify the difference, you are welcome to ask us too. We would be happy to help you make the most of your Katana collection experience, and we appreciate all your aspiration and love for Samurai culture. We will see you in the next episode.
DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany , Hong Kong, France, Finland, Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED : NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate, Shirasaya Case, Koshirae Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
Category
Wakizashi (SHINTO)
Age
20th year of the Keicho era (1615: Early Edo Period)
Swordsmith
Etchu no Kami Fujiwara Masatoshi (越中守藤原正俊)
Certificate
NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate
Location
Yamashiro Province (Today’s Kyoto prefecture)
Blade Size
Cutting Edge Length: 57.1 cm (22.5 inches)
Curvature: 1.3 cm (0.51 inches)
DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Hong Kong, France,Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED : NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate, Koshirae Mounting, Shirasaya Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
Category
Katana (SHINTO)
Age
Early Edo Period ( 1661-1673)
Swordsmith
Fujiwara Sadakuni (藤原貞国)
Certificate
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate
Location
Settsu Province (Today’s Okayama prefecture)
Blade Size
Cutting Edge Length: 74.3 cm (29.2 inches) Curvature: 2.4 cm (0.94 inches)
DELIVERY TIME: Approx. 1-1.5 months *We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO: USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Hong Kong, France, Finland, Australia *Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED: NBTHK Hozon Certificate, Koshirae Case (Decorative Sword Mounting), Shirasaya Case (Plain Wooden Case), Traditional Sword Carrying Bag, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
Category
Katana (SHIN SHIN TO :新々刀)
Age
The late Edo period (1830-1860)
Swordsmith
Attributed to Koyama Munetsugu (固山宗次: Unsigned)
Certificate
NBTHK Hozon Certificate
Location
Musashi province (Today’s Tokyo prefecture)
Blade Size
Cutting Edge Length: 60.6 cm ( 23.8 inches)
Curvature: 1.7 cm (0.67 inches)
DELIVERY TIME: Approx. 1-1.5 months *We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO: USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Hong Kong, France, Finland, Australia *Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED: NBTHK Hozon Certificate, Koshirae Case (Decorative Sword Mounting), Shirasaya Case (Plain Wooden Case), Traditional Sword Carrying Bag, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany , Hong Kong, France, Finland, Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED : NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate, Shirasaya Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
Category
Wakizashi (SHINTO)
Age
Early Edo Period (1596-1624)
Swordsmith
Heianjo Fujiwara Hiroyuki (平安城藤原弘幸)
Certificate
NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate
Location
Yamashiro Province (Today’s Kyoto prefecture)
Blade Size
Cutting Edge Length: 32.1 cm (12.6 inches)
Curvature: 0.30 cm (0.12 inches)
DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Hong Kong, France, Finland, Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED : NBTHK Hozon Certificate, Koshirae Case, Shirasaya Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
Category
Tanto (SHIN SHIN TO)
Age
Late Edo Period (1804-1818)
Swordsmith
attributed to Satsushu Nirei Masazane (薩州仁礼正真: Unsigned)
Certificate
NBTHK Hozon Certificate
Location
Satsuma province (Today’s Kagoshima prefecture)
Blade Size
Cutting Edge Length: 29.4 cm (11.6 inches) Curvature: 0.2 cm (0.08 inches)
DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Hong Kong, France, Finland, Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED : NBTHK Hozon Certificate, Koshirae Case, Shirasaya Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
Category
Tanto (KOTO)
Age
Late Muromachi period
Swordsmith
Sukemune (助宗)
Certificate
NBTHK Hozon Certificate
Location
Suruga province (Today’s Shizuoka prefecture)
Blade Size
Cutting Edge Length: 22.0 cm (8.66 inches) Curvature: 0 cm (0 inches)
DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.
SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Hong Kong, France, Finland, Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.
INCLUDED : NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate , Koshirae Case (Decorative Sword Mounting), Shirasaya Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.